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Oral History Collection
Thirty years of gathering people's stories
St. Mary's County has been historically one of the more "Southern" counties in Maryland in its racial attitudes. This reality is reflected in the fact that African Americans, who currently constitute 14% of the county population and comprised the majority during most of the nineteenth century, have been largely neglected in the official histories of the county. As the county that is the center of the 17th-century Maryland colony and site of its first capital, St. Mary's City, St. Mary's County has played a large role in the state's history and is the site of Historic St. Mary's City and other historical sites and museums. Throughout its history African Americans have played a prominent role in the life of the county, but one would not know it from visiting the county's museums or reading its histories.
UCAC has shared much of its collection of over 100 oral histories with the Slackwater Project - St. Mary's College of Maryland and the Southern Maryland Studies Center - College of Southern Maryland. The St. Mary's County Historical Society is also a repository for our collections and a strategic partner in making these stories available to the public. Experiencing these stories (reading, listening or watching) is encouraged. Please review our Terms and Conditions for other uses.
Listed below is our publicly available collection as of December 2024. Some items can be found on Slackwater's or Historical Society's websites. In early 2025, we will provide links to these stories. Of course, over time we will be adding to this archive.
Barber Donald M 09/18/04
Bennett Alice Rebecca Biscoe 09/05/96
Biscoe Vincent Nicholas 03/06/97
Blackwell Agnes Geneva 11/04/96
Blackwell Grace Cecelia Lawrence 04/21/97
Briscoe Ida Delores Barnes 08/03/05
Briscoe Joan Elaine Groves 04/10/04
Briscoe Joan Elaine Groves 00/00/07
Briscoe Leon M 08/03/05
Brooks Robert C 09/15/16
Brooks Rudy Carnel 01/07/95
Brown Elmer 02/19/00
Brown James S 07/27/05
Butler Sarah Mason 03/13/97
Carter Agnes Genevieve 03/03/06
Casagnol Theresa 06/01/02
Chase George 11/16/96
Chelsey Eva Stuckey 09/24/16
Clay Erman T 09/15/16
Clayton Estelle 09/05/13
Coates Catherine Brenda Thompson 08/15/99
Coates James Melvin 12/11/96
Curtis Annie 06/10/02
Curtis Joseph Mason 04/09/97
Curtis Joseph Xavier 10/18/24
Cutchember Viola 06/01/02
Schoolhouse Drayden 12/15/99
Dickerson Mary C, with Joseph W. Dickerson 07/02/09
Dickerson Vincina with Mildred A Gross & James A Somerville 05/27/09
Dove-Hawkins Francine 10/21/03
Dyson Beverly Watts 07/21/07
Ellis Beatrice Wingate 10/11/20
Forrest Bert & Margaret 03/26/24
Forrest George 06/06/03
Forrest Harriet Ann Swales 07/14/05
Forrest, Sr. James Alexander 02/25/03
Frederick, Sr. George Purnell 11/16/96
Gant Robert 11/16/96
Gardner Viola 11/16/96
Gaskin Elvare Smith 01/28/97
Gaskin John William Alonzo 10/14/03
Glascoe Carrie 09/25/96
Greene William 11/21/19
Greenwell Mary Annabel (Whalen) 03/08/07
Grymes George T 05/27/97
Grymes George T 12/09/03
Hall Emma V. Milburn 06/03/98
Happyland with Alma Jordon 08/27/21
Hardy Imelda Thompson 07/28/21
Harris Tyrone 12/09/03
Herbert Augustus 06/23/21
Herbert Mary Elizabeth Forbes 06/23/21
Herndon Harold 12/19/03
Holland Everlyn Louise Swales 11/16/96 [log] [transcript]
Holland Everlyn Louise Swales 11/20/96
Holland Everlyn Louise Swales 05/30/97 [log] [transcript]
Holland Everlyn Louise Swales
Holly Jr. Joseph Jackson 07/06/16
Holt Helene A. (with John Armstrong) 03/16/06
Hopewell Sister Marilyn S.F.C.C. 05/06/13
Lancaster Albertine Thomas 05/20/00
Lancaster John Graham 12/10/96
Langley Mary Margaret Barnes 12/18/96
Lanham Florence Bailey 01/16/97
Lawrence Jean E. 07/23/21
Lawrence Joseph Alloysius "Sonny" 09/17/96
Maddox Angela Marie Thomas 04/22/97
Mathis Elfreda Talbert 04/15/24
Milburn Georgia Marie Barnes 09/26/96
Milburn Sarah A. 12/06/18
Morgan Mary F. 07/13/16
Neal James W. 06/01/02
Neal Joyce W. 11/12/24
Newkirk Stuart 11/19/03
Newkirk Theodore "Ted" 11/10/03
Newkirk Theodore "Ted" 07/21/07
Portee Richard Gray 12/11/03
Reed Ethel 1996??
Reed Harry L. 12/18/01
Saxon Thomas 12/19/03
Scriber Joseph S. 07/30/04
Scriber, Sr. Philip H. 10/28/96
Siemasko Zora 11/24/03
Smith Clarence Caroll 05/31/02
Smith Edward Allen 12/14/96
Smith Edward Allen 09/18/04
Smith Esther L. 11/01/05
Smith Guffrie 07/19/99
Somerville Joseph Lee 11/16/96
Somerville Mary Agatha 10/27/96
Statesman Eva Cecilia Smith 07/27/16
Thomas Alice Carter 11/01/03
Thomas Dorothy M 3/15/16
Thomas James Gorman 08/17/11
Thompson Ann Lloyd 12/02/96
Thompson Bernard W. 05/14/22
Thompson Catherine 11/15/96
Toon Mary Elnedda George 01/30/97
Travers Catherine Blackwell 09/26/96
Travers Frank W. 01/20/16
Walthour Janice Talbert 07/21/04
Waters Eliza Isabelle Dyson 10/19/16
Weiner John Samuel 09/14/22
Whalen Lewis Clifton 11/20/96
White Laurice M. Chase 03/08/01
White Sarah A 2/13/06
Young, Sr. Clarence Leo 04/06/04
Young, Jr Howard 10/18/24
Young Nannie Theresa Swales 11/02/03